Key for combination instruments.



v H. E. FRENCH. KEY FOR COMBINATION INSTRUMENTS.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1907. 905,304, I

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

HORACE EDGAR FRENCH, OF NEWCASTLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO KRELL-FRENCH PIANO (10., OF NEWCASTLE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

FOR COMBINATION INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HORACE EDGAR FRENoH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newcastle, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Key for Combination Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of connecting piano keys with the actions or the abstracts thereof.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide an improved arrangement whereby the human touch or a very close approximation to the same may be obtained when the instrument is operated pneumatically or by other mechanical means without interfering with the manual operation of the instrument in combination with means whereby the key locks which are frequently employed in this type of musical instrument may be dispensed with by constructing the instrument in such a manner that when it is operated automatically, the keys will remain in position without the provision of any key lock and in fact, with means whereby the mere automatic operation of the keys will hold them in position, thus avoiding the necessity of setting a key lock and also reducing the expense of the instrument.

Other objects of the invention are to provide for adjustment and regulation and generally to improve the construction of the keys of combination instruments of this character.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing which shows in side elevation, partly in section, a single key and abstract of a musical instrument provided with a preferred embodiment of this invention, arranged for operation either manually or automatically and shows in dotted lines the position the parts assume when operated automatically.

As these instruments are now made, they are usually provided with key locking mechanism which obviously involves some expense and necessitates the use of an additional lever which has to be manipulated by the operator. In order to do away with this lever and its connections, I have provided means whereby the abstracts are operated positively and directly by the keys when the latter are operated manually, this means being operated independently of the keys when controlled mechanically and also having some tendency to hold the inner ends of the keys down whenever the mechanical operation takes place. This is provided for in the form shown in the following manner.

The key 10 is connected with the abstract 11 by means of an attachment 12 which constitutes a lever during some portions of its operation. This lever is connected with a block 13 mounted on the top of the key at a point between the inner end thereof and its pivotal point of support 14. Consequently, any force bearing on the block 13 tends to hold the inner end of the key down and assists in keeping the key in normal position. On the block 13 the outer end of the attachment 12 is pivotally mounted, this pivotal connection being shown in the form of a plate or wire 15 bent upon itself through which a pivot pin 16 connected with the attachment 12 extends. This attachment is free to move about its pivot but obviously,

the upward motion of the inner end of the piano key caused by the ordinary playing lifts the attachment bodily and positively so that a rest 17 mounted on the top of the attachment on which the bottom of the abstract is supported gives positive motion to the abstract. The manual playing of the instrument therefore, is of exactly the same quality as in the ordinary piano. This rest 17 is preferably screwed into the'body of the attachment 12 at a point over the rear end of the key and above a cushion 18 with which the bottom of the attachment is supplied, which cushion rests on the top of the key near its rear end. On account of this construction, the transmission of motion is made directly to the abstract and the rest 17 can be adjusted as desired by turning the same up or down. As so far described, the instrument will operate in the usual way. Now, when it is desired to operate the instrument through pneumatic or other mechanical mechanism, the latter is caused to raise a member 20 which engages a disk 21 mounted on a screw 22 in the outer end of a projection 23 on the attachment 12. This projection 23 extends beyond the inner end of the key and consequently, it may be made to give an elastic or yielding effect in its operation on the rest 17 and abstract. The degree of this may be varied within wide limits. The length of the projection 23 will depend somewhat on the material employed for the attachment 12 and is preferably sufficient to secure considerable elasticity in the trans mitting of motion from the member 20 to the abstract.

It will be seen that the disk 21 is adjustable on account of being mounted on the screw 22 and consequently, any desired adjustment may be secured for each key individually, the rest 12 first being adjusted to get the proper action of the instrument when played manually and the screw 22 then being adjusted to get the proper action for the mechanical devices.

\Vhen the instrument is played mechanically, the operation is as follows :The upward pressure on the disk 21 exerts a direct pressure on the abstract 11 through the rest 17, the attachment 12 being raised from contact with the inner end of the key. It will be at once observed that when this takes place, the parts being in position indicated in dotted lines, the attachment 12 becomes a lever and that its front end bears down on the key and assists in holding the same down. This in effect locks or holds each key in its normal position as it is played mechanically. It will be seen, therefore, that no means has to be provided for acting on all the keys at once. Each key is practically free until it is operated by the mechanical mechanism and then as soon as this operation begins to take place, the locking action also is applied. Therefore, an instrument is at all times ready to be played either mechanically or manually and no adjustment or manipulation of levers has to be made before this can be done.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that the same may be carried out in other ways by a skilled mechanic and that certain features may be omitted without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claim. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown but hat I do claim is In a musical instrument, the combination with a pivoted key and a cushion under its inner free end, of a block located on the top of the key between its point of pivotal sup port and its inner free end, an attachment pivotally connected with the rear upper edge of said block and supported by the end of the key, said attachment having a cushion fixed to the under side thereof and resting on the extreme inner end of said key directly over the first named cushion, said attachment extending rearwardly and projecting beyond the free end of the key, an adjustable disk supported below the end of said projection beyond the end of the key, whereby the abstract may be operated by mechanical means through said adjustable disk, and an adjustable rest directly over both of said cushions for operating the abstract whereby the operation of the abstract by mechanical means will give an expression very closely approximating the human touch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE EDGAR FRENCH.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM C. BORENBURY, JosErH A. GREEN STREET. 

